Tài liệu An investigation into the use of kahoot applacation for teaching and learning vocabulary = khảo sát về việc sử dụng ứng dụng kahoot để dạy và học từ vựng

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING QUY NHON UNIVERSITY NGUYỄN LÊ HƢƠNG LAN AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE USE OF KAHOOT APPLICATION FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING VOCABULARY MASTER OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING Binh Dinh - 2022 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING QUY NHON UNIVERSITY NGUYỄN LÊ HƢƠNG LAN AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE USE OF KAHOOT APPLICATION FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING VOCABULARY Field: Theory and Methodology of English Language Teaching Code: 8140111 Supervisor: VO DUY DUC, PhD BỘ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO TRƢỜNG ĐẠI HỌC QUY NHƠN NGUYỄN LÊ HƢƠNG LAN KHẢO SÁT VỀ VIỆC SỬ DỤNG ỨNG DỤNG KAHOOT ĐỂ DẠY VÀ HỌC TỪ VỰNG Chuyên ngành: Lý luận và phƣơng pháp dạy học bộ môn tiếng Anh Mã số: 8140111 Ngƣời hƣớng dẫn: TS. VÕ DUY ĐỨC i STATEMENT OF ORIGINAL AUTHORSHIP The work presented in this thesis has never before been submitted to a university for a degree or certification. I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, my thesis contains no information that has already been published or written by another person, with the exception of passages where appropriate citation is made. Date: 01/ 08/2022 Signed: Nguyen Le Huong Lan ii ABSTRACT In each language acquisition skill, vocabulary is at the heart of growing proficiency and achieving competency. Furthermore, as technology advances, the practice of incorporating technology into education has become unavoidable. The purpose of this research was to find out the perceptions of teachers and students when using "Kahoot!" in vocabulary teaching and learning. This study took a descriptive quantitative and qualitative approach, collecting data through questionnaires and interviews. The research investigated fifty teachers and one hundred and twenty students who used "Kahoot!" App in the teaching and learning process from high schools in Quy Nhon City. Most teachers and students had positive thoughts regarding the usage of "Kahoot!" Application in boosting vocabulary skills. The students stated that using ―Kahoot!‖ helped them enhance their vocabulary abilities and use their English effectively, and that the activities on "Kahoot!" pushed them to be more motivated and thrilled to practice English with their peers. Furthermore, with the use of "Kahoot!" in the classroom, students could exchange their expertise with one another. Technical issues such as unreliable internet connections, difficulty reading questions and answers on a projected screen, inability to change an answer after submission, stressful time pressure for giving answers, insufficient time to answer, fear of losing, and difficulty catching up if an incorrect answer was given are among the main challenges mentioned by teachers and students. Getting the difficulty level of questions and answers, network connectivity challenges, and scoring based on how quickly students answer were also cited by teachers. Teachers and students alike are thrilled about using the ―Kahoot!‖ App to teach and learn vocabulary. Teachers are encourged to use the ―Kahoot!‖ App as a teaching and learning technology tool. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Without the encouragement and support of numerous people and organizations, I would not have been able to finish this paper. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude for all of their help during the difficult process of writing this paper. I want to start by saying how appreciative I am to Dr. Vo Duy Duc, who served as my supervisor, for his encouragement, patience, and support throughout my research. His technical and editorial guidance was crucial to the preparation of this publication and has given me countless insights and lessons about how academic research generally functions. Also deserving of my sincere gratitude are the English Department instructors who taught me valuable information while I was enrolled in the M.A. program. I also want to express my gratitude to the Quy Nhon City high school participants for their steadfast assistance with this study work. Without their enthusiastic involvement and feedback, the study could not have been carried out satisfactorily. Last but not least, I would like to express my sincere appreciation and affection to my family and friends for their commitment and the many years of support during my thesis studies, which laid the groundwork for my effort. Finally, I thank everyone who helped me finish the thesis and extend my best wishes to them. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS STATEMENT OF ORIGINAL AUTHORSHIP ............................................... i ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................. iv LIST OF FIGURES......................................................................................... vii CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................... 1 1.1. Rationale ................................................................................................. 1 1.2. Aim of the study...................................................................................... 3 1.3. Objectives of the study............................................................................ 3 1.4. Research questions: ................................................................................. 3 1.5. Scope of the study ................................................................................... 4 1.6. Significance of the study ......................................................................... 4 1.7. Organization of the study ........................................................................ 4 CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW .......................................................... 6 2.1. Vocabulary .............................................................................................. 6 2.1.1 The importance of vocabulary ........................................................... 6 2.1.2 Vocabulary teaching and learning ..................................................... 8 2.1.3 Vocabulary learning and vocabulary memorizing........................... 11 2.2. Motivation ............................................................................................. 12 2.2.1 Intrinsic motivation .......................................................................... 13 2.2.2 Extrinsic motivation ....................................................................... 14 2.3 ―Kahoot!‖ Application .......................................................................... 17 2.3.1 "Kahoot!" ......................................................................................... 17 2.3.2 "Kahoot!" Application in teaching and learning vocabulary........... 20 2.4. Previous studies on using ―Kahoot!‖ in teaching and learning vocabulary21 v CHAPTER 3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ............................................ 27 3.1. Research hypotheses ............................................................................. 27 3.2. Research design..................................................................................... 27 3.3. Participants ........................................................................................... 30 3.3.1 Teachers ........................................................................................... 30 3.3.2 Students ........................................................................................... 31 3.4. Instruments ............................................................................................ 31 3.4.1 The questionnaire ............................................................................ 32 3.4.2 The semi- structured interview ....................................................... 33 3.5. Data collection and data analysis .......................................................... 35 3.5.1 Data collection procedure ............................................................... 35 3.5.2 Data Analysis .................................................................................. 36 CHAPTER 4. RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION ...................... 38 4.1. Teachers’ perception on the use of "Kahoot!" App for teaching vocabulary .................................................................................................... 38 4.1.1. Increasing students’ motivation with "Kahoot!" App .................... 39 4.1.2. Developing students’ rapid-thinking skills through the use of "Kahoot!" App.......................................................................................... 40 4.1.3. Promoting an active learning towards using "Kahoot!" App ......... 40 4.1.4. Offering a good technique to teaching vocabulary ......................... 41 4.1.5. Creating a measurable goal to work toward employing "Kahoot!" App ............................................................................................................ 42 4.1.6. Providing feedback effectively through the use of "Kahoot!" App 43 4.1.7. Promoting teachers’ active role in a class with "Kahoot!" App ..... 43 4.1.8. Supplementing textbooks through "Kahoot!" App ......................... 44 4.1.9. Obtaining various topics via "Kahoot!" App’ activities ................. 45 4.1.10. Using "Kahoot!" App for warm-up activities ............................... 46 4.1.11. Using "Kahoot!" App for reviews ................................................ 47 vi 4.2. The teachers’ problems and their solutions when using "Kahoot!" App in teaching vocabulary ................................................................................. 50 4.2.1. Some obstacles in using "Kahoot!" App to improve the ability of students in teaching vocabulary ................................................................ 51 4.2.2. Some solutions to tackle the problems ........................................... 52 4.3. Students’ perception of using "Kahoot!" App on learning vocabulary 53 4.3.1. A clear and understandable App ..................................................... 54 4.3.2. An enjoyable atmosphere when learning with "Kahoot!" App ...... 55 4.3.3. An easy and effective teaching aid ................................................. 56 4.3.4. Students' vocabulary improvement ................................................. 57 4.3.5. A wider range of vocabulary activities ........................................... 58 4.3.6. Accessibility by students’ own devices .......................................... 58 4.3.7. Students’ preference for written vocabulary lists ........................... 59 4.3.8. The opportunity to deliver richer content towards using "Kahoot!" App ............................................................................................................ 60 4.4. Students’ problems students face when using "Kahoot!" App in learning vocabulary ...................................................................................... 64 4.5. Summary of the study ........................................................................... 66 CHAPTER 5. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS .............................. 67 5.1. Conclusions .......................................................................................... 67 5.2. Implications ........................................................................................... 68 5.3. Limitations and suggestions for further research .................................. 69 REFERENCES ................................................................................................ 71 APPENDICES vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 4.1: The teacher's frequency of teaching "Kahoot!" App in class ....... 38 Figure 4.2: The promotion of students' motivation ......................................... 39 Figure 4.3: Development of Rapid-thinking skills ......................................... 40 Figure 4.4: An active learning environment ................................................... 41 Figure 4.5: An effective strategy for teaching vocabulary ............................. 41 Figure 4.6: A measurable goal when using "Kahoot!" App ........................... 42 Figure 4.7: Teachers’perception of giving feedback over "Kahoot!" App ..... 43 Figure 4.8: The vigorous teachers’ role .......................................................... 44 Figure 4.9: The supplement of textbooks through "Kahoot!" App................. 44 Figure 4.10: Acquiring various topics through "Kahoot!".............................. 45 Figure 4.11: The use of Kahoot! App for an introductory activity ................. 46 Figure 4.12: A check-in activity through "Kahoot!" ...................................... 47 Figure 4.13: The student's frequency of learning "Kahoot!" in class ............. 54 Figure 4.14: A clear and understandable App. ............................................... 54 Figure 4.15: Learning atmosphere .................................................................. 55 Figure 4.16: An effective teaching aid ............................................................ 56 Figure 4.17: Vocabulary improvement ........................................................... 57 Figure 4.18: A wider variety of vocabulary activities .................................... 58 Figure 4.19: Connecting to the app on their own devices .............................. 59 Figure 4.20: Students’ preference ................................................................... 60 Figure 4.21: The ability to give deeper content through the use of Kahoot! .. 61 1 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Chapter 1 introduces the rationale underlying this current study. The chapter includes 7 main parts: the rationale, the aim of the study, the objectives of the study, the research questions, the scope of the study, the significance of the study, and the organization of the study. 1.1. Rationale Vocabulary represents one of the most important skills required for foreign language teaching and learning. It is the basis for developing all other skills such as reading comprehension, listening comprehension, speaking, writing, spelling, and pronunciation. Vocabulary is the main tool for students to use English effectively. Wilkins (1972) argued: ―Without grammar little can be conveyed, without vocabulary, nothing can be conveyed.‖ (pp. 111– 112). Indeed, people need to use words in order to express themselves in any language. The teacher has an essential role in helping students to improve their vocabulary. Nowadays, there is a great variety of activities for teachers to use for vocabulary presentation and practice. Vocabulary is no longer treated as an add-on and teachers become more aware of the importance of vocabulary and attention is paid to the grammar of words, collocations, and to word frequency. To address students' vocabulary learning needs, some digital learning tools, including "Kahoot!", have been introduced as a means to enhance students' ability to acquire vocabulary and retain vocabulary. Particularly as students develop greater fluency and expression in English, it is significant for them to acquire more productive vocabulary knowledge and to develop their own personal vocabulary learning strategies. To fulfill students' need for vocabulary learning, numerous digital learning tools, such 2 as "Kahoot!", have been launched as a way to improve students' vocabulary acquisition and retention. In the context of integration and globalization in Vietnam, language instruction and improvement, particularly in English, is a major concern. Students who receive context-based, multi-sense instruction often show statistically and educationally significant increases in their vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension compared to students who do not. These benefits are most evident in reading comprehension. This is inconsistent with Harmer (2001) stating that vocabulary is considered as the core of the language. Students need to know the words in context to see how they are used during the interaction. As vocabulary plays an important role, as a basic component of language proficiency (Richard & Renandya, 2002), it provides much of the basis for how well learners speak, listen, write, and read. Nevertheless, due to a number of difficulties, English language instruction in Vietnam has not been as successful as hoped. One of the most serious issues is that, despite the importance of vocabulary in learning English, the instructor cannot devote much time in the classroom to teaching vocabulary due to time constraints and other factors. As a result, providing students with a choice of learning resources and assisting them in becoming self-sufficient learners is critical. As a result, the use of technology in the classroom, particularly the usage of mobile phones in teaching and learning, is promoted. Numerous mobile apps have been launched to facilitate the teaching and learning process in Vietnam as a result of the integration of information technology (IT) in education. The issue is that there have been few researches in Vietnam on the use of mobile vocabulary applications for language teaching and learning in high school. Therefore, the use of "Kahoot!" App in the classroom was conducted through teachers and their perceptions were clarified. According to Gibson (1996), teacher perception is the process of how teachers see or 3 understand the phenomena that occur in the classroom during the teaching and learning process. In this study, teachers' perceptions are needed to know the teachers' point of view about the use of "Kahoot!" App in the teaching and learning process. The teachers look at the activities taking place in the classroom and then they give their opinions and also the teacher's perceptions arise based on their experiences. Nowadays, the use of "Kahoot!" in the classroom is not very common in Vietnam. When there is an English class in school, some high schools use it to teach classes on English language proficiency, including reading, speaking, and writing. As a result, in order to fill a research gap perceived to use "Kahoot!" in improving L2 learners' vocabulary knowledge in the context of high schools in Vietnam, this study aims to investigate teachers' and students' perceptions in teaching and learning vocabulary. 1.2. Aim of the study The research is aimed at investigating teachers as well as students’ perceptions toward using "Kahoot!" App for teaching and learning vocabulary at high schools in Quy Nhon City. 1.3. Objectives of the study The objectives of this research are as follows: 1) To find out the teachers’ perception toward the use of "Kahoot!" Application in teaching vocabulary. 2) To identify students’ perception on the use of "Kahoot!" Application in learning vocabulary. 1.4. Research questions: The current study aims at investigating teachers’ and students’ perception of the use of "Kahoot!" App for teaching and learning. The following research questions are proposed: 4 1) What are teachers’ perceptions on the use of "Kahoot!" App for teaching vocabulary? 2) What are students’ perceptions on the use of "Kahoot!" App for learning vocabulary? 1.5. Scope of the study The research focused on EFL teachers and students at high schools in Quy Nhon City who use "Kahoot!" App for their learning and teaching practices. The goal of the study was to find out how teachers and students perceived the use of "Kahoot!" App for teaching and learning at high schools in Quy Nhon City as well as their challenges they faced during teaching and learning vocabulary process. It only looked at the fifty teachers who used "Kahoot!" App to teach vocabulary and one hundred and twenty students who already used the app to learn vocabulary. 1.6. Significance of the study It is hoped that the research is beneficial to both teachers and students. The researcher expects the "Kahoot!" App to be an effective tool used and applied by teachers in teaching vocabulary in a more interesting and engaging way. For students, this study is intended to assist them to acquire vocabulary successfully and make their learning motivation increase in learning English. 1.7. Organization of the study The research is presented in five chapters: Introduction, Literature Review, and Research Method, Research findings and Discussion, Conclusions and Implications. Chapter one provides some background knowledge of the study. Then it presents the purpose as well as the research questions and the significance of the study. Finally, it describes the organization of the study. Chapter two explores several underlying theoretical constructs that 5 framed this study. It also examines the relevant literature regarding 1) the vocabulary in language learning, 2) motivation, 3) "Kahoot!" App, and 4) related studies on the usefulness of "Kahoot!" App in vocabulary learning. Chapter three explains the research method. Firstly, it presents the research hypotheses of the present study. Secondly, it describes the research design and the participants of the study. Thirdly, it introduces the research instruments used to collect data for the study. Lastly, this chapter will come to an end with the procedure to conduct the study and the methods of data analysis. Chapter four reports the results of the study. First of all, the information collected from the questionnaire will be analyzed. Secondly, the data of the face-to-face semi-structured interviews will be analyzed in order to give more explanations for the findings of the study. Finally, the teachers' and students' perceptions as well as their challenges when applying this app are presented. Chapter five makes a conclusion of the report of the study. First, it will interpret these findings and discuss interference to the previous studies. Then, it will suggest the research implications. Finally, the limitations of the study and the suggestions for future research will be the last part of this chapter. 6 CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter outlines the literature review regarding Vocabulary in teaching as well as learning, motivation, “Kahoot!” App and related studies of the using "Kahoot!" App in the teaching and learning vocabulary. 2.1. Vocabulary 2.1.1 The importance of vocabulary Reading, speaking, listening, and writing are the four skills that any language requires. In order to master a language, learners must master three components: grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation, in addition to become proficient in these four abilities. Vocabulary is central to English language teaching because without sufficient vocabulary students cannot understand others or express their ideas. Wilkins (1972) claims ―. . . while without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed‖ (pp. 111–112). Lewis (1993) went further to argue, ―Lexis is the core or heart of language‖ (p. 89). It is critical for students to acquire more productive vocabulary knowledge and strengthen their vocabulary learning practices as their fluency and expression in English improves. Nation (2001) further describes the relationship between lexical knowledge and language use as complementary: language use is enabled by lexical knowledge, and the lead language is utilized to expand vocabulary knowledge. Researchers such as Laufer and Nation (1999), Maximo (2000), Read (2000), Gu (2003), Marion (2008) and Nation (2001), and others have realized that the vocabulary is essential for successful second language use and plays an important role in the formation of complete spoken and written texts. Hence, vocabulary is ultimate expression. Having a massive vocabulary will enable 7 you to communicate and express yourself clearly. Language vocabulary is also equivalent to thinking vocabulary, emphasizing that you will be able to think concisely. While much of your vocabulary is built during childhood, it is certain to stabilize once you leave the education profession. To keep your vocabulary in order and expand after this time, it's a good idea to read, play word games, or even set yourself a goal to learn a new word every day. Many linguists believe that vocabulary is one of the most basic factors of learning a second language. Linse (2016, p.121) stated ―vocabulary is the collection of words that an individual knows‖: A vocabulary can be defined as a set of words or phrases that can be used to describe things in communication, hence, people have to know the vocabulary in order to communicate with others. Teaching vocabulary is necessary for teachers, especially English skills. In addition, Schmitt (2008) stated teaching and learning should be a long-term process of explicitly repeating the vocabulary acquired for the duration of the course. Similarly, according to Harmer (2001), vocabulary is the most essential element of a language. If language structures form the skeleton of the language, he claims that vocabulary provides the vital organs and flesh. Furthermore, lexical knowledge is important for communicative skills and the acquisition of a second language (Schmitt, 2000). In addition, Thornton and Houser (2005) showed that mobile devices will so be effective tools for delivering learning materials to leaners. Vocabulary acquisition is a prolonged and iterative process that involves the integration of several types of knowledge as well as the development of various levels of ability to apply that knowledge in communication (Paribakht and Wesche, 1999). Likewise, according to Alquatani (2015), vocabulary learning is seen as a necessary component of language learning. As a result, many researchers believe that a full mastery of 8 vocabulary knowledge is a trustworthy indicator of language acquisition success. Thornburry (2002) argues that learners who spend a lot of time studying grammar do not make much progress, but that having more vocabulary and phrases will help them grow because they can practically explain everything with words even if they do not speak much grammar. To sum up, the primary factor for communication ability is vocabulary, and a lack of vocabulary can lead to ineffective communication. A student with insufficient vocabulary will not perform well in all aspects of language itself (Susanto, 2017). In other words, having a sufficient vocabulary is the foundation for effective language development. 2.1.2 Vocabulary teaching and learning Learning vocabulary is unquestionably important when learning a language. Many studies have been conducted in order to determine how vocabulary should be taught and what the most effective teaching and learning techniques are. People have debated whether vocabulary should be taught casually or deliberately. Deliberate vocabulary development demands conscious effort to build up new target terms, whereas casual vocabulary learning refers to gain vocabulary automatically through frequent exposure in communicative activities. Many studies show that there is no single efficient approach to teach and learn vocabulary. However, combining two paradigms of implicit and explicit learning may be the most effective way to teach vocabulary, and this is how most contemporary vocabulary learning systems work (Ma and Kelly, 2006). Cristina (2010) affirms that, ―Vocabulary is picked up unintentionally through indirect exposure to words and through explicit instruction on purpose in specific words and word learning strategies‖ (p. 170). In the education sector, providing students with traditional methods of learning vocabulary is less effective than teaching them vocabulary learning 9 approaches that allow them to gain vocabulary knowledge on their own. As shown by Schmitt (2000), just pre-teaching vocabulary may not have a major impact on vocabulary learning. Students should use strategies for learning outside of the classroom to improve their vocabulary learning (Schmitt, 2000; Nation, 2001). As seen by Ahmed (1989), there are four basic kinds of vocabulary acquisition tactics: (1) memorizing strategies, (2) practice and dictionary strategies, (3) note-taking strategies, and (4) group work strategies. Gu (2010) discovered a high link between vocabulary knowledge and the use of vocabulary acquisition strategies. Teng (2015) agrees with this conclusion and adds that using a vocabulary learning technique increases word learning. Although gender differences in vocabulary learning strategies have been identified, researchers have debated whether gender differences in vocabulary achievement exist. While Gu (2002) finds that female learners outperform male classmates in vocabulary learning, Llach and Gallego (2012) conclude that there is no difference in vocabulary retention between female and male learners. Students are frequently aware of the significance of vocabulary in their language study. Vocabulary instruction assists students in comprehending and communicating in English. Although most English students will agree, acquiring vocabulary also helps students in becoming competent in English for their specific reasons. Students will benefit from a large vocabulary as they learn English and its four main skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Richards and Renandya (2002) thought that vocabulary is important in foreign language learning and competency because it affects how well learners speak, listen, read, and write. Brown, (2001, cited in Utami, 2014), however, emphasizes the importance of vocabulary in communication by claiming that survival-level communication can be highly intelligible when 10 people merely connect words together without using any grammatical rules. Because languages are built on words, teaching words is an important part of learning a language (Thornbury, 2002). Without words, learning a language is practically difficult; even human-to-human communication is predicated on words. Both teachers and students believe that learning new words is an important part of learning a language (Walters, 2004). In assessing students’ vocabulary mastery, Schmitt and McCharty (1997) stated that information that is both receptive and productive. Words that learners recognize and comprehend when they occur in context are referred to as receptive knowledge, whereas productive knowledge refers to words that learners understand, are able to pronounce correctly, and utilize productively in speaking and writing. It is thought that measuring students' receptive vocabulary is more relevant because language is first taken receptively. One of the most controversial aspects of teaching English as a foreign language is vocabulary instruction. Teachers face challenges as the teaching and learning process expands. They're having trouble figuring out how to instruct students in a way that produces satisfactory results. Teachers should plan advance and explore the best approaches to use with students. A skilled teacher should be well-versed in a variety of current teaching methods. Teachers must be able to master the material in order for students to understand them and get involved and enthusiastic about the teaching and learning process in the classroom. Teachers should be conscious that teaching vocabulary is a new and different experience from the students' native language. They must also consider that teaching English to young learners differs from teaching English to adults. Teachers must be aware of the features of their students. They must also develop good procedures and appropriate material in order to achieve the language teaching goal. Furthermore, the usage of media can assist teachers in delivering topics